Visualising Darwin 6 Sep 2009 PZ Macrabbit has already mentioned this, but I thought I’d pile on: it’s a Javascript utility that shows you how Darwin edited the six editions of the Origin over the course of his life, by Ben Fry, who lets you download the program Processing (now that’s a name!) for free. Also, the Wellcome Institute has a nice visualisation of the tree of life. A more technical one is here. Oh, and then there’s this: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qabl5eIba2g&hl=en&fs=1&] HT: Dangerous Intersection Evolution History
Epistemology Defining philosophy 22 May 201018 Sep 2017 While I am travelling, of course an interesting net phenomenon occurs: people trying to define what philosophy is. It began with Simon Critchley opening a philosophy blog in the New York Times. As pleased as some are to see such a beast, they objected to Critchley being the blogger, and… Read More
Evolution I am a paleontologist 3 Sep 2009 By “They Might be Giants”: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ8rblUtEXA&hl=en&fs=1&] Read More
Evolution Quetelet and the origin of statistical and population thinking 4 Jun 2009 Adolphe Quetelet is a much overlooked figure in the history of scientific methodology: he marked that populations had distributed properties that were largely constant, even though individuals varied in ways that seemed indeterminate. He noted that hat sizes and belt sizes were constantly distributed in different samples. Will Thomas at… Read More
The huddled masses you see weeping to themselves outside the Welcome Trust are the mycologists and botanists, who are feeling rather ignored. What’s so interesting about these latecomer animals finally dragging themselves onto dry land, eh?